I’ve always believed that the best horror stories don’t just scare you with gore or maniacal situations. They slowly draw you in, revealing the fear bit by bit until you are sitting on the edge of your bed at 1 am and cannot stop reading. They poke at your soft spots and ask: What would you do if it all fell apart?
This is exactly what Jonathan Janz’s upcoming novel Veil does! I was able to get my hands on the ARC of Veil and devoured it completely. I had so many questions and emotions about the story that I just had to reach out to Jonathan for an interview to have those burning questions answered.
When I sent my questions to Jonathan, I expected to hear about aliens, dread, and the science behind the book’s unsettling sequences. What I did not expect was how much heart lives at the center of it all.
If you’ve ever loved horror stories that made you flinch and which you could not stop reading, or if you are just curious about how an author balances an emotional core with the sci-fi chaos, keep reading.
Note
We would like to thank Jonathan Janz for his time and for writing the amazing novel that is Veil, coming out in September 2025. We also would like to thank Blackstone Publishing for the ARC copy of the book.
Did writing Veil make you paranoid or overprotective?
Hahahaha! I’m paranoid and overprotective anyway, so Veil was a means of getting all those feelings out on the page. A few years ago, Brian Keene interviewed me and asked me, “Why are you so worried about your kids being abducted?”, and that was the first time I’d noticed that like three or four of my books included abductions. Veil seems to be an examination of that fear, only on a much grander scale.
Were there any scenes in Veil that were especially difficult to write, either technically or emotionally?
Yes, absolutely. Emotionally, the most challenging scene by far was the climactic scene involving John and his son Sam. I cried when I wrote it, each time I edited it, and I still cry each time I read it. There’s so much of my love for my son (Jack) in there on the page that I get choked up every time.
Technically speaking, the hardest scenes to write (but also some of the most rewarding) were the scenes in…(trying not to spoil anything)…an atypical setting. Bringing that setting to life, applying all the science I’d studied and learned, but letting the story flow onto the page in an organic way…that took a good while to get right, but I’m very happy with how those scenes turned out.
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An emotional current runs through Veil, a father trying to reunite with his loved ones. Did any real-life experiences shape that emotional core?
That’s an interesting question, and I don’t have a concrete answer for you. Thinking about it, however, my grandfather (who was and will always be my father-figure) passed away in 2020, and I started this novel in late-2022, so it’s likely there was some grief there and some desire to reconnect with him and find a way to spend just a little more time with him. We can never have enough time with our loved ones, so obviously, I’d love to watch another Cubs game with my grandpa. I suspect some of that energy informed Veil.
You are a big fan of horror icons and sci-fi icons, such as Stephen King (whom I am a huge fan of myself) and Mark Hamill. Who or what was your biggest inspiration when writing Veil?
Constant Readers unite!
I view Veil like a big-budget film very much in the vein of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and James Cameron. I grew up loving films like Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Star Wars, and Aliens, so that love definitely comprises some of the DNA of the book.
On a character level, John is flawed but morally strong (in my opinion), and in that way, I think there’s quite a bit of the lead character in some of those big-budget classics. Chief Brody from Jaws, Han Solo, and even Kyle Reese (the Michael Biehn character from The Terminator) are probably part of John’s makeup.
I’d also throw in Chief Hopper from Stranger Things, as David Harbour’s character is one I love returning to again and again with my kids and studying to unlock the nuances of the character. I love characters like that: imperfect people striving to become something more. That’s John Calhoun in Veil.
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Subscribe to our weekly newsletterYou’ve written across horror sub-genres: gothic, creature, and psychological. What keeps drawing you back to horror, and how do you keep it fresh for yourself?
I see horror as a boundless and ever-expanding realm, so there will always be fresh territory to explore.
As you mentioned, I’ve already written in many subgenres of horror, and there are so many I haven’t ventured into yet. I think my approach is what keeps it fresh: I let my imagination guide me, and my stories and characters are the decision-makers in this operation.
Even within subgenres in which I’ve already written (like the paranormal, for example), the door remains open for me to blaze new territory, be that in a sequel or a new standalone. For example, I’ve returned to the gothic realm several times already and am working on a new one, a period vampire piece.
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What scares you now, as a writer, a parent, or a human? And does it ever make it into your stories?
Since we’ve already talked about my fear of my loved ones being taken from me, I’ll go in a different direction with this one. One of my many fears involves being stuck somewhere belowground, and I’ve expressed this fear already in a few novels (most notably in Savage Species).
But this phobia also showed up in a novel I’ve developed with a producer in which the main characters are stuck underground for the bulk of the story. Overall, writing that book was cathartic, but during the writing of it I felt as trapped as the characters were.
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What is next for John from Veil? His rescue story is not complete. Is there a planned sequel?
I love to hear you say this. Quite a few readers have already asked about a sequel, and for me, that shows that they’re invested in the story (and this protagonist) and curious about where it might go.
I don’t write a ton of sequels, but this is absolutely a story I’d like to continue. I have some ideas about where John’s tale might continue, and if reader demand for it is high enough, I’d love to write the sequel. So to answer your question in a more succinct way, yes, I do plan on writing a sequel. I can’t wait to reenter this world!
About The Author
Jonathan Janz has written more than a dozen novels, but don’t let the number fool you; he’s not just prolific, he’s consistently good. The kind of good that makes other horror writers take notice. Joe R. Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, Brian Keene… they’ve all sung his praises.
And it’s not just fellow authors. Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and School Library Journal they’ve all spotlighted his work. One of his books, The Siren and the Specter, was selected for the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Horror. Another, Children of the Dark, landed on Booklist’s Top Ten Horror Books of the Year.
But if you ask Jonathan what matters most? It’s his wife and his kids. That emotional core, the stuff that really matters, runs through his writing. It’s probably why his stories hit harder than your average scare-fest. He’s not just trying to freak you out (though he will). He’s trying to say something real.
